A Tale of Lions, Tigers and Garretts

By WILLIAM N. WALLACE, Special to the New York Times

Published: October 9, 1987

PRINCETON, N.J.—
When Columbia plays Princeton here tomorrow, the three Garrett brothers will be Tigers rather than Lions only through circumstances beyond their control.

They will be vital Tigers, too. Jason Garrett is the quarterback, Judd is the halfback and John is the backup split end and a spare cornerback on a young team that has won two of its three games. Princeton may yet challenge for the Ivy League title.

Jason, Judd and John are the sons of Jim Garrett, who was the head coach at Columbia for one stormy season in 1985. All three were enrolled at Morningside Heights that autumn, and the projection was that they would play for their father in 1986. They were good enough to inspire some hope that the Lions might win some games.

Columbia didn't win a game that season, and the volatile coach resigned at its end. He had said publicly that his players were ''addicts,'' meaning they were addicted to losing, and that description did not sit well with college authorities. Family Departs En Masse

His sons left with him and assembled the next fall at Princeton, where they practiced with the team but were ineligible to play because they had transferred.

Tomorrow they face the Columbia team they might well have been playing for, a team that still hasn't won a game and that could set a Division I record by losing its 35th straight.

The record has little interest to the Garretts, according to 22-year-old John, the oldest of the brothers. And there is no desire to embarrass Columbia as compensation for their father's dashed hopes.

''It's going to be fun to see those guys again, to play with them,'' said John. ''I've got a lot of friends on that team, and I'm looking forward to seeing them and the game.''

The big point of this season, said John, was that the three brothers were finally playing together at the college level and doing well. It had been a long, twisted route to get there. Played Together in High School

They had tasted the experience once before five years ago at University School, a prep school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Jim Garrett was an assistant coach for the Browns at the time and the family lived in Cleveland Heights.

John graduated in 1983 and decided on Columbia, one of several colleges with similar academic standards that tried to recruit him. In 1984, John was a sophomore receiver and one of the better players on a Columbia team that lost all nine games under Coach Bob Naso.

John Garrett liked Columbia. ''Going to college in New York City was terribly stimulating,'' he said. ''And there were some wonderful people there.''

But Jason, the quarterback, who is a year younger than John, decided on Princeton and became a star on the Tiger freshman team in 1984.

Then the father, 54 years old and out of college coaching for 18 years, accepted the Columbia appointment. Judd, who is a year younger than Jason, had been accepted at Princeton but switched to Columbia, and Jason transferred there.

''It was hard on Jason because he really loved Princeton,'' said John. ''But it was a family decision that we would all be at Columbia and eventually play for our father, a great coach. It was a rare opportunity.'' John did not play for the Lions that fall. He was injured in the preseason camp and dropped out of college, thus saving a season of football eligibility. But he lived with his parents in the apartment Columbia had provided, and shared the experience of the 10 losing games. Mr. Everything

Meanwhile, Judd was the leading rusher, receiver, scorer and kick returner for the Lions' freshman team, while Jason hung around the varsity squad as an ineligible transfer.

After their father's resignation, the three left without much discussion. It was another ''family decision,'' said John.

Princeton was waiting for Jason and Judd with open arms. Jason had completed his freshman year there in very good standing, and Judd had been accepted by the admissions committee. ''They were a little harder on me,'' said John.

As transfers once again, all three were ineligible last fall and it was Princeton's turn to wait for the Garrett brothers. The Tigers lost 8 of 10 games and the Garretts were looked on as would-be saviors.

The three joined the scout team, which runs the upcoming opponent's plays for benefit of the varsity defense.

''That was some scout team,'' said Bob Depew, the defensive coordinator. ''They moved the ball on the varsity almost every day.''

John remembered the scout team's afternoons as ''a lot of fun.''

''We got to run a whole bunch of different offenses and be of some help to the varsity,'' he said. Father Works for Cowboys

As the sons of a deep thinker and theorist on the sport - their father is now doing scouting and personnel work for the Dallas Cowboys - the Garretts knows their X's and O's better than most. Do they talk football in the home? ''We sure do,'' said John. Home is a big house in Monmouth Beach, N.J., that Jim Garrett bought in 1970 when he joined the Giants as an assistant on Alex Webster's staff.

John denied a report that the property included half a football field in Astroturf. ''It's just a big backyard,'' he said. ''But big enough to throw the ball around.''

The curtain went up on the Garrett act when Princeton played at Dartmouth in its opening game on Sept. 19.

The Tigers won, 34-6, as Jason completed 14 of 18 passes, 2 for touchdowns, and was named the Ivy League Player of the Week. Judd ran for 141 yards and 1 touchdown and became the Ivy rookie of the week. John caught two passes, ran back kicks and made an interception as a defensive back.

Buddy Teevens, the Dartmouth coach and a former quarterback, was impressed with Jason. ''Real good,'' he said. ''He throws the ball well and picks out his receivers.''

Next came a 42-6 victory over Davidson with three touchdown passes for Jason. There was a stiff test last Saturday against Brown, a strong defensive team. The Bruins won, 13-7, although Jason passed for 188 yards and Judd ran for 81.